The library system earned a five-star ranking for excellence in public education — the only library system in the state to do so. Less than one percent of public libraries in the country received the honor.

“This honor reflects the quality curriculum our innovative team delivers for students of all ages in the areas of self-direction education, research assistance and instruction and instructive and enlightening experiences,” library system President and CEO Valerie Gross said in a release announcing the award.

According to the news release, the library system concluded fiscal year 2013 with record-setting numbers. Customers visited the system’s six branches 3.2 million times — up 14 percent over last year — and borrowed 7.4 million items. More than 250,000 attended library classes and events, and there almost two million research assistance interactions, up eight percent from last year.

Christina Renee Randall, a caretaker at Lighthouse Senior Living on North Ridge Road, was arrested in February on charges of second-degree assault and abuse of a vulnerable adult after police were given video footage that showed her allegedly abusing a 93-year-old Alzheimer's patient in her...

Mary Catherine Cochran was recently hired as executive director of the Patapsco Heritage Greenway, an organization dedicated to the preservation of the historic and environmental resources of the Patapsco Valley. On March 21, she took a walk through Patapsco Valley State Park with Betsy...

From the Thomas Viaduct bridge in Elkridge to the Benjamin Banneker Museum in Catonsville, passing through lush forest and old mill towns like Ellicott City and Oella, the Patapsco Valley holds a wealth of treasures.